“The song (with Josh Ritter & Bob Weir) pitches its tent midway between the country, gospel and soul camps, with thickly stacked harmonies that evoke the Dead’s own folk-rock classic American Beauty. Appropriately, Weir lends his warm, weathered voice to two verses. Behind him, a swirl of guitars, organ and brass turns the song into some sort of Americana hymn.” – Rolling Stone

Singer-songwriter Josh Ritter is getting set to release a new album which features a duet with the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir. Continue reading →

Nashville star Margo Price is bringing her country croons to BB&T Pavilion tonightin support of Chris Stapleton. Find tickets on the show here, and watch her NPR Tiny Desk Concert below, which takes on greater depth and meaning with the added context of having performed the set the day after the election this past fall. Continue reading →

Taped at West Virginia’s Civic Center Little Theater, country breakout Margo Price made her debut on Mountain Stage this week, performing tunes from her recent record Midwest Farmer’s Daughter. She was joined by Nashville’s Micah Hulscher, Dillon Napier, and Jamie Davis on keys, drums, and guitar, respectively, along with Luke Schneider on pedal steel and dobro and Kevin Black on bass.

Listen to the episode below, and if you dig what you hear, catch Price this summer at BB&T Pavilion with Chris Stapleton; tickets/more information can be found on the XPN Concert Calendar.

Yesterday was the debut of Chris Thile as the new host of A Prairie Home Companion. Thile, the Grammy winning mandolin player and singer in Nickel Creek, and member of the Punch Brothers, has taken on the role of the new host after long time host Garrison Keillor stepped down in July. Continue reading →

Nashville based singer-songwriter Margo Price, whose debut album, Midwest Farmer’s Daughter is one of the best albums of 2016, and an XPN Artist To Watch in April is playing World Cafe Live on Thursday, November 10th. Breaking out of this year’s SXSW music conference in March, followed by a remarkable appearance on Saturday Night Live, Price and her band revive a variety of 60s and 70s twangisms with stories of heartbreak, emotional pain, and release. Continue reading →

This month’s Artist to Watch is Margo Price, a Nashville musician who’s getting attention for her no-frills classic country sound.

She’s been a mainstay of her town’s vibrant music scene for many years now, but the release of her debut LP Midwest Farmer’s Daughter (out last month on Jack White’s Third Man Records) is putting Price in front of a national audience. She highlighted the album at an NPR Music Showcase at SXSW (one of the best things Bruce Warren saw while he was down in Austin), and just last weekend appeared as the musical guest on SNL.

Watch Price perform “Since You Put Me Down” on the show below and tune in to XPN to hear more from this Artist to Watch.

As with the past twenty plus SXSW music festivals I’ve attended, coordinating seeing all the bands I’ve want to see each year I go is a function of timing and serendipity. And it’s nearly impossible to see everything I have on my wish list. At any time, there are both official and unofficial showcases all around the city, and there are literally hundreds of them. SXSW is a sprawling, crowded event where you can see a random band rocking out in a vacant parking lot, or see an emerging buzz band, or if you’re willing to wait in a long line to get into the Spotify house, or the Pandora stage or the Hype Hotel, you might be able to see some big name rock bands or rappers along with bands your industry friends have declared the next big thing. It can get very complex very quickly.

Going into SXSW this year I had a list of 23 artists I wanted to see, and given I was at the festival for less time than usual, I knew a list of that size was over reaching. I managed to see about a dozen shows over the three days I was in Austin. Here’s some of the best things I saw. Continue reading →

About The Key

Philadelphia: Home to a rich musical history, a unique musical identity, and one of the nation's most thriving musical communities. In a scene filled with so many local bands worth listening to, there will always be new music to discover—and The Key is your source for finding it. Brought to you by WXPN—the non-commercial public radio station that World Cafe, XPN2, and XPoNential Music Festival call home—The Key covers all local music in Greater Philly and beyond.GET IN TOUCH

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About The Key

Philadelphia: Home to a rich musical history, a unique musical identity, and one of the nation's most thriving musical communities. In a scene filled with so many local bands worth listening to, there will always be new music to discover—and The Key is your source for finding it. Brought to you by WXPN—the non-commercial public radio station that World Cafe, XPN2, and XPoNential Music Festival call home—The Key covers all local music in Greater Philly and beyond.GET IN TOUCH